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WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE TRIBE RURAL WATER SYSTEM Project
Overview
WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE TRIBE WATER RIGHTS QUANTIFICATION ACT OF
2010 The Proposed Action is the outcome of the WMAT Water Rights
Quantification Act of 2010 (Act) in which Congress directed
Reclamation to plan, design, and construct the WMAT Rural Water
System.
The Act also provides for operation of the completed system by
Reclamation for three years following construction, after which
WMAT would own, operate and maintain the water system.
PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSALSince the early 2000s, the
Whiteriver area has experienced water outages, declining water
quality and a diminishing water source. The WMAT needs a dependable
and sustainable water supply for the Fort Apache Indian
Reservation.
The Proposed Action would fulfill Reclamation’s statutory
mandate under the WMAT Water Rights Quantification Act to plan,
design, construct, operate, maintain, and replace the WMAT Rural
Water System until it is transferred to the Tribe as provided in
the Act.
For the WMAT, the purpose of the Proposed Action is to provide a
secure, safe and dependable, good-quality, fresh water supply for
its communities and tribal members.
PROJECT BENEFITSThis project would replace a failing groundwater
supply and ensure a long-term and reliable fresh water supply for
the Tribe well into the future.
The project could also provide multipurpose benefits, including
commercial water supply, recreation, hydropower potential, limited
flood control, irrigation, improved instream flows for riparian and
aquatic habitat, and stream temperatures suitable for production of
endangered Apache trout at the Alchesay National Fish Hatchery.
An environmental impact statement (EIS) is now being prepared to
assess the potential environmental effects of constructing the
White Mountain Apache Rural Water System to divert, store, and
distribute water from the North Fork of the White River for the use
and benefit of the White Mountain Apache Tribe (WMAT or Tribe). The
Proposed Action would include construction and operation of
the WMAT Rural Water System, which includes a dam, storage
reservoir, pumping plant, treatment facilities, and a distribution
system that would provide water to communities located on the Fort
Apache Indian Reservation, Arizona, including Whiteriver, Fort
Apache, Canyon Day, Cedar Creek, Carrizo, and Cibecue.
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is the lead federal
agency, and the WMAT and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) are
cooperating agencies.
The Bureau of Reclamation is the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) lead agency
because of its statutory requirement to implement the Proposed
Action
WHICH AGENCIES ARE INVOLVED IN THE EIS?
Bureau of Indian Affairs is a NEPA cooperating agency because of
its statutory responsibility
regarding Indian Trust Assets
WMAT is a NEPA cooperating agency because it is the statutory
owner/beneficiary of this project
Fort ApacheIndian Reservation
Bla
ck River
Whi
te R
iver
Salt R
iver
ProjectStudy Area
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San CarlosIndian Reservation
TohonoIndian Reservation
NavajoIndian Reservation
Barry GoldwaterAir Force Range
Gila RiverIndian Reservation
Verde
TheodoreRoosevelt Reservoir
San CarlosReservoir
GilaRiver
40
19
10
8
17
89
191
89
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191
180
60
70
60
191
60
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Arizona
Utah
Prescott
Scottsdale
Mesa
Tucson
Glendale
Phoenix Tempe
Flagsta�Little Colo rado River
Gila River
San Pedro River Wilcox
Lake
FALL 2013
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WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE TRIBE RURAL WATER SYSTEM
2
Cibecue
Carrizo
Cedar Creek
Canyon DayFort Apache
East Fork
Whiteriver
North
Fork W
hite R
iver
Whit e R
iver
Salt River
East For
k White RiverLEGEND
Sources: ESRI, Bing Imagery, USGSMorrison and Maierle,
Inc.Carollo EngineersGannett Fleming, Inc.
Proposed Miner Flat Reservoir
Proposed Water Treatment Plant and Diversion
Proposed Pipeline
Fort Apache Indian Reservation BoundaryWhite River
0 1 2 3 4Miles
Proposed Pipeline
Proposed Miner Flat Reservoir
Proposed Miner Flat Dam
Proposed Water Treatment Plant and Diversion
Con�uence with Black River
Black River
08/12/13 S:\GRAPHICS-WORKING FILES\Apache_WMAT\Figures
032613
DRAFT
WMAT Rural Water System - Major Project Components
Fort Apache Indian Reservation
San Carlos Indian Reservation
Fort Apache Indian Reservation
Project Overview Map
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WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE TRIBE RURAL WATER SYSTEM
THE DAM AND RESERVOIR• The proposed dam site is about 7.5 miles
south of the
intersection of Highway 260 and Indian Route 73, about 12 miles
north of Whiteriver.
• The proposed Miner Flat Dam, a roller compacted concrete dam,
would be about 160 feet in height, and would have a crest length of
450 feet.
• The reservoir created by the dam would have a surface area of
about 160 acres at an elevation of about 6,062 feet, and a storage
capacity of about 8,620 acre-feet.
• The dam and reservoir would provide long-term stability and
reliability in water diversions for the water distribution system.
The dam would also release water back into the North Fork of the
White River.
• The dam site would have new access roads, associated
facilities for operations and maintenance, and possible
recreational facilities.
DIVERSION/WATER INTAKE AND WATER TREATMENT PLANT (WTP)• The
water treatment system is designed to treat 14.55 million
gallons of water per day.
• WTP options include expanding the existing plant, building a
new plant, or a combination of the two. Expanding the existing WTP
is currently the preferred alternative.
• The expanded system would require a new raw-water intake from
the North Fork of the White River at a site near the existing
intake and pump station. Water would be conveyed in a 24-inch
pipeline to the WTP.
• Treated water would be delivered to storage tanks via a
gravity or pressurized pipeline.
• During the 4- to 5-month WTP construction phase, communities
would continue to be served by the Miner Flat wells.
Project Components
What a Proposed Water System Would Look Like
WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM• The project would install a pipeline
from the treated water storage site at the WTP to existing water
distribution systems
serving the communities of Whiteriver, Fort Apache, Canyon Day,
Cedar Creek, Carrizo, and Cibecue.
• The distribution system consists of 60 miles of new pipeline,
storage tanks for each of the receiving communities, and pumping
stations.
• The pipeline alignment would mostly follow existing roadways
(except between Carrizo Creek and Cibecue Ridge).
reservoir
Dam
Community Storage
Water Treatment Plant
water diversion
Community Distribution
pipeline
3
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Environmental Impact Statement Timeline
Federal Register Notice of Intent to Prepare EISSeptember 6,
2013
EIS Scoping Period Sept 6, 2013 - Nov 12, 2013
Preparation of Draft EISWinter 2014-Spring 2015
Federal Register Notice of Availability of Draft EIS
Summer 2015
Draft EIS Public Comment Period
Summer/Fall 2015
Preparation of Final EISFall 2015-Spring 2016
Federal Register Notice of Availability of Final EIS
Summer 2016
30-Day Final EIS Waiting PeriodSummer 2016
Record of DecisionSummer 2016
For more information, contact: Mr. John McGlothlen, Bureau of
Reclamation, 6150 West Thunderbird Road, Glendale, AZ 85306-4001;
e-mail: [email protected]